Lignocellulose is an abundant raw material and renewable carbon source for the production of single cell oils which can replace plant-derived oils in food, feed, fuels, and oleochemicals. Mucor circinelloides produces both fatty acids and amino polysaccharides, such as chitin and chitosan. This study evaluates hydrolysates of Norway spruce (Picea abies) as a carbon source for their simultaneous production. Cultivation in spruce hydrolysate media yielded 15.8 g/L of biomass, with fatty acids comprising ~ 50% of the cell dry weight and amino polysaccharides up to 8.5%. The fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) content and fatty acid profile were comparable to glucose fermentation. Optimal harvesting times ranged from 72 to 120 h, depending on desired yields. These findings demonstrate that Norway spruce hydrolysates are a viable and sustainable substrate for microbial lipid and polysaccharide production, supporting their potential use in biotechnology and industrial applications.

Borregaard AS 1701 Sarpsborg Norway

Department of Biotechnology and Nanomedicine SINTEF Industry 7465 Trondheim Norway

Faculty of Chemistry Biotechnology and Food Science Norwegian University of Life Sciences Christian Magnus Falsens vei 18 1433 Ås Norway

Faculty of Chemistry Brno University of Technology Purkyňova 464 118 61200 Brno Czech Republic

Faculty of Science and Technology Norwegian University of Life Sciences Postbox 5003 1432 Ås Norway

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